


idealism sits in prison, chivalry fell on its sword

by ambrolleignsgirl



Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: AU- Character Taken Prisoner, AU- Imprisoned in Prison 42, Fix-It, Hurt!Steve, M/M, Not overly graphic I don't think, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), there is some violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-25
Updated: 2016-06-25
Packaged: 2018-07-18 05:42:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7301731
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ambrolleignsgirl/pseuds/ambrolleignsgirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>MCU AU Fest Gift</p><p>Prison 42, holding his friends captive, sits in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Steve would never have known if it wasn't for Tony. Maybe it can be the new start they so desperately need.</p><p>Tony gives Steve the location of Prison 42, to try and bridge the gaping trench between them. But he never imagined his olive branch would burn so quickly.</p>
            </blockquote>





	idealism sits in prison, chivalry fell on its sword

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MissHammer](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissHammer/gifts).



> There is a major character death. The character does not stay dead, but I added the warning for people who need it. There is also a good deal of violence, not super graphic, at the beginning and of course when the death occurs.
> 
> For MissHammer who likes Hurt!Steve and Time Travel ;)

Steve braces himself just in time, shoving his shoulders back into his seat and bracing one foot under the navigation unit as a powerful wave crashes over the quinjet. Wakandan technology may be years ahead, something that would absolutely infuriate Tony if he ever saw, but Mother Nature cannot be thwarted by fancy flight stabilizers. 

 

He didn’t purposefully choose to stage his rescue during a horrific storm, but he couldn’t stomach the thought of leaving his team at the mercy of Ross and his goons. The prison looms in the near distance as Steve allows himself a moment to consider how after all that happened and all they’d done to each other, Tony couldn’t resist helping his teammates. 

 

The outdated phone had only buzzed once in the time between when Steve bought its twin and sent it to ‘Tony Stank’ at the Avengers facility. After the delivery boy had made the mistake when bringing the celebratory pizzas to the party thrown to welcome Sam, Wanda, and Vision into the Avengers the name had stuck. It was a good way to ensure Tony would know it was from him, for signing it had been too risky. 

 

_ Restricted Number: _

_ N 34° 44' 29.805" _

_ W 41° 18' 30.9375" _

 

Who else could it have been but Tony? The coordinates when he plotted them in his head were in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, which gave King T’Challa pause. T'Challa thought it a trap but considering what took place in Siberia, Tony clearly had no problem with full frontal assault if he wanted to hurt Steve. After T’Challa discloses the structure he'd caught a glimpse of chasing Tony to Siberia, it became clear that Tony didn’t want anyone imprisoned no matter where they stood with the Accords. So Steve watched his best friend get frozen then asked the King for a plane. 

 

He engaged the Stealth Mode twenty minutes back, placing his trust in the same technology he let take his friend. When he lands it softer than Clint has ever managed, he knows he’s found an incredibly trustworthy ally in T’Challa. 

 

Getting on the prison was remarkably simple, but how on Earth was he going to get in? It takes three trips around the circumference of the structure to finally spot a subtle interruption in the pattern. He jams one of his knives into the slit and cranks with increasing strength until the door begins to lift. Steve lifts it just enough to peek inside, then to fit his body inside to land silently on the metal grating right below it easing the door back into place. He melds into the wall behind him as he scouts the rotating security cameras nearby, including the one right above him. 

 

Steve winces at not having spot it, but since no alarm has gone off, he trusts that he hasn’t been made. He sprints to the camera on his left and slides under it just in time to blend into the black wall as the camera on his right turns to him. He continues the routine until he makes it to the door of what has to be a security booth. 

 

Taking a deep breath to prepare, he twists the knob hard enough to shatter the lock and pushes his way inside. There are five agents scattered around the room, the one sitting closest to him doesn’t even manage to turn before a right hook knocks him out. Steve spots an agent reaching for a big red button and has no choice but to throw the knife he’s still holding and hope it catches only fabric as it pins the agent to the wall behind him. He follows it up with a rolling chair that knocks the man’s head in the wall he just unpinned himself from.  

 

The other three approach him together, an admirable tactic as even his black stealth suit can’t disguise his features. Ross probably sends out email reminders of what he looks like; a Superhero ‘Most Wanted’ List.

 

One manages a solid kick to his gut as he uses his right arm to bash an agent’s head into the wall and his left to block a punch from a third man. Steve bends over, out of breath, and gripping the arm that tried to punch him, whirls that agent into the kicker. He catches a breath as they scramble over each other, kicks the gun out of one of their hands and uses its butt to knock out the one still getting up. 

 

The last agent jumps onto his back to attempt a sleeper hold, but he’s no match for the serum and Steve simply pulls the arms open and yanks them down, ignoring the sickening crunch and the accompanying scream as he turns around and punches the guy unconscious. 

 

After looking around to make sure no one remains alert and taking a second to listen out for back-up, Steve moves towards the wall of televisions broadcasting from all the security cameras in the structure.

 

It only takes a second a lose all guilt he’s feeling about the violence he had to undertake as he spots Wanda immediately. Wrapped in a straight jacket with a collar around her neck like a wild animal, he wills her to look up and meet his gaze. She doesn’t. She just sways listlessly and he has to move on before he breaks the computer he’s using to navigate through the screens.

 

He finds Sam, Clint, and Scott all together in three adjacent cells. Sam and Scott seem to be talking to each other, sitting on either sides of the same wall of their adjoining cells. Clint is reclined on his cot absentmindedly throwing and catching something Steve can’t make out. They seem mostly in tact, if a little bruised, which will make the escape much easier. Carrying four incapacitated persons would make this mission infinitely harder. He’ll probably have to ask one or two of them to carry Wanda, a thought that makes his blood burn. He doesn’t allow himself to ponder that Tony had seen her in this condition and left her here. He can’t afford to let himself. 

 

A quick scan of the room lets him spot the station responsible for the alarms and he disables them all. Thank you, Natasha. He thought her lessons to be her showboating, but after a few missions together, he realized she was teaching him how to do some of the things she does. A sign of trust that with the right knowledge, he’d be able to rescue her if she were ever made. 

 

Once he goes back and accounts for all his people and as many agents as he can, he freezes the security cameras in the hallways he plans to use to play in a timeloop. There’s no way these five agents are the only ones with access to these feeds. 

 

With the blueprint of his mission in his head and the five agents handcuffed to various nailed down structures with their own handcuffs, he heads out. 

 

He follows the route with the least amount of turns, wanting to make escape easier on them all. If the agents stationed every two hallways or so are facing him then Steve punches, kicks, or throws the nearest blunt object before lowering their body to the ground slowly. Agents facing away from him are choked until they pass out then placed on the ground. Everyone is handcuffed to the closest door. He takes a right towards the boys and uses the guard placed outside the cells to swipe his way in. He walks silently to the middle of the room and waits until Sam turns to smirk at him.

 

“...she goes ‘a talking frog!’” Scott laughs as he finishes his story. “Get it? A talking frog- come on, you have to get it!”

 

“Shut up, tic-tac.” Sam snarks, gaze locked on Steve. “Go potty one last time and then put your big boy pants on ‘cause we’re breaking out.”

 

“What the hell took you so long, man?” Clint groans at him over Scott’s betrayed exclamations. 

 

Steve’s eyes move briefly to Clint’s. “Traffic.”

 

It takes very little other than super strength to get them out. They sneak back to the fork on the hallway and go left to collect Wanda. Clint takes as much time as they can spare dismantling the guard by her door until Steve lays a hand on his shoulder and he gives the guard one last, unforgiving hit.

 

Steve snaps the door of her cell off its hinges and sets it down gently, not that it matters. She barely reacts to their presence until Clint cradles her face gently and rests their foreheads together long enough to murmur soft reassurances as Steve works on breaking the collar. 

 

“It’s alright, kid.” He whispers to her. “We’re gonna get you out, don’t you worry. You’ll be okay.”

 

Clint moves to scoop her up and puts up a fight when Steve holds him back and gestures for Scott to take her. 

 

“We’ll need your hand-to-hand if we hit trouble, Clint.” Steve squeezes his shoulder. “Scott’ll take good care of her.”

 

“It’s okay,” a weak reassurance from a mostly dazed Wanda. She meets Clint’s eyes with slightly glazed over ones, but it calms them all some to see her start to bounce back so soon after the collar was removed. 

 

“Alright, lift with your legs, tic-tac, and try not to jostle her too much.” Sam says from the door. “We gotta go.”

 

With Steve having already taken out the guards on their route, they make it back to the security office with little trouble. Then an alarm sounds and the shouts of what are sure to be numerous other guards ring throughout the structure. General Ross’ voice comes out of the speakers the alarms are screaming out of.

 

“Captain Rogers! Surrender at once or you will be arrested!” Steve punches open the door out to the roof he landed on in response just as guards start to swarm the metal walkway. Steve jumps back down and runs to meet the guards coming towards them.

 

“Go! Get her out of here!” Clint and Sam help Scott wrangle Wanda up the stairs. She’d regained a good deal of awareness, but not the strength in her body. Once Clint climbs out and helps pull her out as Scott pushes her, Sam runs to join Steve in the fray.

 

It’s a flurry of chaotic fighting that seems to go on for an eternity. An enhanced kick sends the first four rows of guards toppling, causing those behind to trip and break rank. The second of confusion allows Steve to shove Sam up and out then climb out after him. Clint and Scott have clearly made it to the jet as it’s engines fire up. Just as Sam and Steve begin dashing through the downpour to the plane, the roof starts to split in the middle and lift slowly. 

 

“Run!” He screams to Sam, resisting the urge to push him along but not even considering running ahead.

 

“What the hell do you think I’m doing?” Sam huffs out, pumping his arms and legs rigorously. 

 

They’re going as fast as they can, but Steve knows it won’t be enough as he hears Ross call for fire. He puts himself behind Sam and says a prayer that he’ll forgive him before grabbing him by his shirt, whirling around, and tossing him towards the plane as the guards open fire. 

 

Sam screams and flails his arms but manages to roll through his landing, albeit a bit roughly. He regains his footing in time to catch Wanda as she collapses trying to run out of the plane.

 

Steve feels bullets catch in his upper left arm and thigh as her scream rings out over the storm.

 

“Steve!” 

 

He watches as Sam and Scott grab her by the arms even as she thrashes to get free. He’s able to Sam’s horrified gaze before the ramp of the jet closes. Clint was always the most pragmatic Avenger after Nat. He watches the quinjet lift off before finally losing his footing on the still-rising roof and falling back into the structure. He’s quickly subdued by multiple agents and feels a prick in his neck before it all goes black.

* * *

 

Tony drums his fingers on the tabletop as he rests his chin in his other hand waiting for the coffee machine to spit out a drink as black as his soul. Going back to the Tower seemed like a good idea but now he’s not so sure.

 

No Pepper, no Avengers, and no bad guys means a lot of downtime between S.I. projects. Who knew owning 51% of the most profitable company in the world could mean so much free time? 

 

He’d mind it either way, but it’s especially stressful since it’s been over a week since he sent Steve those coordinates. Despite what went down, he knows Steve- maybe better than he should but shut up, brain, because nobody asked you- so he knows that Steve figured out what the coordinates were. Whether he succeeded or not, Tony doesn’t know since he’s been keeping busy putting Ross on hold and watching the line blink.

 

He tries not to let his mind wander too much, enough to picture Steve hurt, dying, or dead. It’s too much to bear on top of already having lost him in a way. 

 

Losing Pepper was a blow, a hard one he thought he’d never have to endure. But he can’t deny there’d always been  _ something _ between him and Steve, hiding in the line between the words they spoke to each other. He tried to find a silver lining in his inability to keep away from Iron Man and losing Pepper, but no matter how he sliced it, the silver lining had sky blue eyes with golden hair and the most sincere smile anyone’s ever had. Then Lagos went down and the Accords came up and it all turned to hell. Watching his parents die after spending months painfully piecing together a foundation to do good in his beloved mother’s name...it’d been too much. 

 

Maybe Steve hadn’t been certain about Barnes being the culprit. Maybe he was just trying to spare Tony the pain of knowing it wasn’t just an accident; he’s certainly noble enough to have meant that sincerely. Maybe it’s like when Tony found mentions of rumors that Barnes was still alive, held captive somewhere after the fateful train ride, hidden in his father’s things while looking for a piece of Steve’s past to give back to him while he adjusted to the scary, new century he was stuck in. Maybe the whole past month had been a giant misunderstanding, not unlike the shitshow in Sokovia. All Tony knows is that he’s lonely, still sore somehow, and worried about his friends. Former friends? 

 

F.R.I.D.A.Y. interrupts his musings before he can spiral into a nervous wreck. 

 

“Sir?” The A.I. starts, “There are guests requesting access from the private underground garage-”

 

Tony cuts her off, “They’re just paps, Fri. You’ll get used to them.”

 

“Sir, I have to insist that you see this.” Before letting Tony try and stop her, she projects the live feed by the elevator downstairs. He sees nothing but big bulky shoulders until the man looks to the side, revealing himself as one Sam Wilson. Once Sam moves from the middle of the frame, Tony is able to make out the guy who turned into the BFG and Clint carrying what has to be a bundled up Wanda Maximoff. 

 

“Let em up.” The words come out before he thinks them through, but what else can he say? Sure, they were giant dicks in Germany, but Tony is a giant dick every day of his life so…

 

The elevator dings and Clint walks out first. “I parked a jet in Central Park. Deal with it.” He struts towards the living room without another word and Tony doesn’t know why he expected any different.

 

He looks away from Clint laying a sleeping Wanda down on the huge sofa to meet Sam’s gaze. Everyone looks hungry, tired, and apprehensive and Tony can’t blame them.

 

“Did he honestly-” Tony starts to ask the clarifying question, but Sam just throws him a look of fond exasperation because of course Barton parked a goddamn jet in Central Park. “So...hi?” He finishes awkwardly.

 

“Look, Steve didn’t mention what happened after I sent you after him, but he came alone so it must not have been good.” Sam’s shoulders are tensed with the fear of being turned away or walking into a trap. “But you’re the only one who knows where we were, so you were involved somehow. I figured you might be a mildly safe bet, alright? With her like that- we had no choice.”

 

Not the greatest reason someone has shown up to the Tower asking for Tony (that would have been the monthly free Shawarma deliveries the Avengers received for a year), but not the worst either. 

 

“Speaking of- don’t touch that!” Tony exclaims right before Scott touches the contraption he’d been fiddling with on the counter. “That’s absolutely rigged to explode.” 

 

Scott yelps and flails backwards into a $500 vase that then crashes to the floor. He glances down at the shards of glass before looking back up at Tony, “Any chance that was from Ikea?”

 

Tony sighs and rolls his eyes. “Just get,” he says shooing him into the living room. “The adults are going to talk in the kitchen, go watch some TV.”

 

Scott goes, but not before ducking back in and snatching a box of cookies.

 

Tony rolls his eyes and gestures for Sam to take a seat at a stool by the kitchen island. “Water?” At Sam’s nod, he finds two glasses and pours ice cold water from the fridge into them. “So did he not have the courage to face me after I whooped him in Siberia?”

 

Sam’s shoulders tense and Tony feels like a jerk because he’d promised to go as a friend and ended an enemy. “He’s-”

 

“Brooding? Mad? Sends his thanks?” Tony rambles to fill the space between them because he’s not emotionally stable enough to handle an awkward silence. “Tell him to get his ass over here. Sure, Barnes murdered my parents and then we all almost killed each other, but I left you to die in a hellhole in the middle of the ocean so bygones? F.R.I.D.A.Y., call Steve’s burner dinosaur, tell him-”

 

“They’ve got him.” Sam interrupts Tony’s increasingly panicked rambling and shatters his world with those three words. They may never be the same, Steve and Tony, may never recover that  _ thing  _ between them that was inexplicable and explosive and brighter than the sun. But Tony thought they might get close one day and helping rescue the team could’ve been step one. He didn’t think he’d get more than a thank you, but instead he gets a battered team that isn’t his. He doesn’t get Steve and isn’t that just perfect.

 

Tony sets the glasses of water down and slides Sam’s to him silently. He makes eye contact with his water as he asks, “How?”

 

Sam explains Steve’s inevitably epic rescue, how he showed up with a Wakandan jet and took down half the prison’s guards singlehandedly. He skims over having to find Wanda and carry her out, something Tony doesn’t think he deserves but is grateful for nonetheless. When Sam gets to the part of the story where they run into trouble, where Steve throws his friend into the getaway jet and leaves himself to get shot and captures, Tony has to suppress what would undoubtedly be an unwelcome laugh because of-fucking-course he did. The idiot. 

 

“So that’s why we’re here. If you helped him get us out, which don’t bother denying, it had to be you because you two seem to not be able to help yourselves,” Sam cuts Tony off before he can do more than open his mouth. “But now you have to help us return the favor. Please. Help me get him out.” 

 

Sam eyes bore into his full of disgustingly honest pleading because Steve Rogers can’t help but gather best friends forever no matter where he goes. Tony doesn’t have quite the same problem.

 

“I can’t.” It’s Tony’s turn to cut Sam off as his eyes harden with disbelief. “At least, not directly. I’m the only one on the inside. Ish. Someone has to be at least mildly aware of what Ross is planning. He’s got a high-tech prison and the law on his side. I signed because I thought it’d be different. Good. And it isn’t, which is why I can’t afford to be ousted. Let’s give it a day, consider all of our options, and we’ll figure out a plan. Together.”

 

Sam sighs resignedly. “I know you’re right, but I was hoping you had a secret ace in the hole.”

 

“Me too.” Tony shakes his head to clear out the regrets he doesn’t currently have time to dwell on. “Let’s get the troops watered and fed. There are a billion empty suites or you can drag mattresses into the common room if you want to stay together. Go nuts. We’ll sleep on it and figure out a game plan tomorrow.” 

 

Even as he says it, Tony knows he isn’t going to sleep. He’ll be up all night hacking into the prison’s mainframe to find any available footage of Steve’s rescue and capture. Maybe if he can figure out where they’re keeping Steve, he can figure out how to sneak him a message. Or a key. Or a bazooka. 

 

“Guys!”

 

The yell is urgent and loud and makes Tony meet Sam’s eyes before they both book it to the common room. 

 

Clint yells for them one more time before they make it into the room and see them all pointed at the huge TV screen currently showing C-Span live on Capitol Hill where-

 

“Captain America is currently being escorted out of the van- we see he’s handcuffed. The CIA announced just thirty minutes ago that Captain Rogers would be held accountable for his actions in Lagos and Germany in recent weeks, as well as the catastrophe in D.C. months back. Let’s see if we can get a few words from General Ross.”

 

The reporter is followed by her cameraman as she runs towards the crowd of other reporters shouting questions at Ross and at Steve, hoping for an exclusive explanation of what was going on. Tony wouldn’t mind one either. Steve looks ragged and as defeated as Tony has ever seen him even though he keeps his head up high, expression carefully blank. 

 

“What the hell is he doing? The Accords call for a UN trial, jurisdiction does not lie solely with the violator’s country of origin.” Tony beings frantically thinking through any loopholes he may have missed. 

 

“Clearly, the Accords mean shit which is not dissimilar to what Steve was trying to tell you in the first place,” Clint’s words pierce Tony exactly how he’d meant them to. Provided that Tony had him arrested in the name of the Accords that have been clearly tossed aside, he can’t exactly blame him. 

 

“F.R.I.D.A.Y., pull up all reliable coverage of this. CNN, Fox, I want all the good eyes.” The screen immediately splits into four squares, each broadcasting a different view of Steve being ‘escorted’ to the steps of Capitol Hill. Unfortunately, this means they all get four high definition angles as Steve’s body jerks erratically when someone off-screen opens fire. 

 

Tony’s breath goes ragged and he hears Wanda let out an anguished whimper. Sam’s “Good God” goes unacknowledged as they take in the scene.

 

Two of the cameras immediately lose Steve in the chaos of taking cover and soon only the Fox coverage remains on the screen. The two guards flanking Steve have fled and Steve himself lays sprawled on his back near the top of the stairs. Red is splattered all over his chest and the pristine white of the steps below him. One hand lays over his stomach, presumably holding pressure, as the other is one his chest as he gasps for breath.

 

A blink of red rushes into frame and Natasha skids to a stop next to Steve, adding her own hands to the mess on his torso. Her mouth moves, but there’s nothing distinguishable from the chaos of screams and running that’s still happening. 

 

They watch with baited breath as Natasha snaps at the approaching guards and waving her gun around before hauling Steve into her lap defensively. She has one arm under his neck, the other hand on his torso as she lowers her forehead to Steve’s. It’s when the hand on his wounds moves up to cradle his cheek that Tony knows Steve’s gone. Natasha would never have stopped staunching the bleeding unless there was no use. 

 

No one moves as the camera continues to broadcast Natasha cradling the limp body of the recently assassinated Captain America.

* * *

 

They don’t move for a long time. They don’t talk either, though everyone is eventually seated somewhere. 

 

The news channel hasn’t stopped showing the footage, full screen or in the corner as a news anchor rambles about Steve’s murder. Natasha had gone with Steve’s body in the ambulance that showed up way too late. She hasn’t called anyone, though, so Tony assumes she’s trying to keep the government’s grubby, filthy, bloody hands off of Steve. 

 

Tony’s about to speak, to say what he has no idea but someone has to say something, when there’s a bright flash outside the windows. Tony’s head shoots up and he sees Thor and Bruce on the landing pad. 

 

Bruce raises a hand to wave and Tony can only look away from the earnest look in his eyes. No one should be happy to see him when he just got Steve Rogers killed on national television.

 

Because that’s what he did. He got Steve murdered by his own hubris. He brought the Accords to them as a way to deal with his own guilt and problems and it ended with Steve bleeding out, fighting for what he believed in until the bitter end. Tony wanted to protect people, protect his team, protect Steve for fuck’s sake. The blowback from D.C. and from Tony’s fuck-up with Sokovia was going to be huge. Steve could probably have survived the SHIELD/Hydra take down by using the Data Dump to prove a U.S. intelligence agency had been thoroughly infiltrated by a Nazi organization. But Sokovia? There was no fixing that mistake. Tony’ll spend the rest of his life atoning for Ultron and all it led to, but everyone was going to go down for it and Tony couldn’t let it happen.

 

Ross had promised. In hindsight, Obie has promised a lot of things too. But Ross had promised full immunity for every avenger and avenger ally- meaning Wanda- in regards to the destruction of Sokovia. It’d keep them all out of jail and out of trouble until they could draft an amendment together, one that works for them. It just hadn’t worked out like Tony hoped. 

 

Steve had seen what Tony was to blind to see, yet another person taking advantage of his uncontrollable need to make up for Stark Industries’ past and every other mistake he’s ever made. Tony’s inability to deal with his own regrets made him fall for everything Ross had said, hook, line and sinker. And now Steve was dead. So no, Bruce couldn’t wave hello to him because he just got Steve killed.

 

“Friends! We come with worrisome news, but perhaps some hope as well.” Thor’s boisterous voice practically echoed through the room. “Why are we all so somber? Has something happened?” 

 

Tony sees Bruce glance around the room then at the TV when Scott gestures to it. He can’t watch as Bruce tells F.R.I.D.A.Y. to unmute the television and Steve’s assassination is played back for the hundredth time. Unknown shooter. Multiple rounds fired. Black Widow bursting onto the scene. Pronounced dead on arrival. 

 

After the report is over, Bruce and Thor join them in silence for a few minutes. 

 

“What has happened?” Thor’s question is not rhetorical, so Clint and Sam tag-team describing the last few weeks, Lang waving weakly in introduction.

 

Tony feels Bruce’s gaze burning a hole in his skull, so he looks up. He doesn’t bother hiding the mess of dried tears on his face and the seething hatred he has for himself in his eyes. 

 

“Okay, well,” Bruce seems pressed for words when it’s all over. “Thor and I have very important information regarding the safety of Earth and this-” Bruce pulls out an orb from his jacket pocket. He twists the various sections like a Rubix cube, and the orb opens to reveal an orange gem. “This is the Time Stone. Long story short, we stopped an evil, evil man from destroying all of space and time.”

 

“The story can wait for another time, but it is another Infinity Stone.” Thor’s voice is low and grave. “It is now the fifth to show in recent years and I regret burdening you all with its presence, but it is unwise to keep two powers so close together. As the Tesseract lies dormant on Asgard, my father suggested bringing it here until he can find a suitable minder for the stone.” 

 

If Barton were any more tense, he’d shatter. “What does it do?” 

 

Clearly aware that Clint isn’t over being mindfucked by Loki, Thor keeps it brief. “The wielder can use it’s power to travel through time, stop and start time at will, or even control the ages of other beings. It is not capable of mind manipulation, but certainly not to be trifled with.” He takes the orb from Bruce and closes it carefully before holding it out to Tony.

 

“Uh, can I help you?” Tony leans away from the orb. “Do you remember the last time I had one of those? ‘Cause we got an unexplainable being out of it. He’s not in at the moment, but if you want the visual reminder, I can call and tell him Wanda’s here.” 

 

“Viz?” Wanda meets Tony’s eyes and almost smiles. 

 

Tony tries to smile back at her and probably doesn’t succeed. “F.R.I.D.A.Y. already told him you’re here.” 

 

“He is on his way, Miss Maximoff.” F.R.I.D.A.Y. informs her. Wanda thanks her quietly and settles into the couch, calmer than she’s been since they all arrived. 

 

“The Vision has helped us all greatly and I suspect he will play an important role in battles to come,” Thor’s gentle gaze settles back on Tony. “You did well, Son of Stark. I trust you to find a place to keep it safe.”

 

Feeling entirely out of place, Tony takes the orb regardless and ensures to do just that. Bruce breaks them all up, insisting everyone get some rest. He doesn’t say that it’ll hurt less in the morning, but Tony knows that he wishes it were true. 

 

They all go their separate ways and Tony heads up to the Penthouse to keep up appearances. He says goodnight to everyone and even hugs Sam and Bruce. He takes the orb up to his room where he changes into a black t-shirt without snot on it and jeans. Then he goes to work.

 

F.R.I.D.A.Y. tries to talk him out of it the entire time.  _ Sir, this is unsafe. Sir, the power of the Stone is unprecedented. Sir, Steve would advise against this _ . 

 

The last one stings, but it’s why he’s doing it. Tony runs through his estimations in his head, think A for time jump and think B for time stop/start, before hooking on his repulsor watch. If he does this wrong and lands in Mesozoic, he might need it. He’s seen Jurassic Park. With one final breath, Tony inputs the sequence he’s committed to memory and opens the orb. He’s grasped it in his hands as he hears Bruce enter the workshop.

 

“Tony, I knew you’d be down here. Listen, what happened to Steve isn’t your-” He hears Bruce take in a breath, but it’s too late. “Tony, No!”

* * *

 

_ It’s dark and it’s bright and there’s silence and sound. _

 

_ A small, skinny, toe-eyed boy takes three steps for every one his brunette companion does with one arm slung around his neck. A blonde man dances on stage and pretends to punch Hitler. A shield flies through the air and lodges itself into a tank and a man uses it as a stepping stool as he launches a homemade explosive into the armoured vehicle. Freezing water. The Chitauri. A small bed on a farm where two men lie close enough to touch but with miles between them. An isolated SHIELD medical suite is dark, a man in blue lies prone on a ventilator. Iron Man catches Captain America with vicious lefts and rights as the Winter Soldier lies sans arm.  _

 

_ A repulsor beam shoots through an armoured police vehicle, causing it to crash in Washington D.C. A second beam takes out two armed guards. A blue streak enters and exits, taking a prisoner with it.  _

 

_ It’s dark and it’s bright and there’s silence and sound. _

* * *

 

Tony can’t feel anything. Except for a maddening itch on the side of his foot. It pushes him into awareness that he doesn’t want because his whole body hurts. He supposes that much time travel has to have a cost, but feeling like he took his doctor’s advice and did sixty minutes of cardio seems overly cruel. 

 

He manages to twitch his foot a bit, again, and a third time that’s just enough to scratch the itch on his other foot. 

“Tony?” It’s whispered and almost too quiet to hear, but it’s a symphony in Tony’s ears. 

 

He blinks open his eyes slowly and comes to in a mostly dark room, only a dim lamp on in the corner. He sees two figures curled up in the recliner next to it. Pietro Maximoff has his sister cradled in his arms as they both doze easily.

 

He feels a gentle squeeze on his hand and looks to his left to meet the sky in Steve Rogers’ eyes. They are wide with disbelief and shiny with unshed tears and Tony finds the strength to smile.

 

“Hi, handsome.”

  
Tony would’ve endured the wrath of a thousand itchy feet and traveled time a million times over if he knew it would yield him the feel of Steve’s lips on his. 

**Author's Note:**

> This fic kind of flew away from me, but hopefully you enjoyed it! Not beta-read so please excuse any mistakes.


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